AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below repeals Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/B737/224 Amdt 2 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001 (1) of CASR 1998 and subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct an unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes
AD/B737/224 Amdt 3
Horizontal Stabiliser Attachment
Pins and Bolts - Inspection
10/2014
 
Applicability:
This AD applies to all Boeing model 737-600, 737-700, 737-700C, 737-800 and 737‑900 series aircraft.

Requirement:
Subject to the exceptions mentioned below, action must be taken in accordance with the technical requirements of AD 2004-05-19 Amdt 39-13514, as corrected in the Federal Register of 13 April 2004, (the FAA AD) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States of America (FAA).
Note:  Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 737-55-1086 Original Issue, dated 11 December 2003, relates to the FAA AD.
Compliance with Boeing SB 737-55-1086 Revision 1, dated 16 December 2004, or a later revision of that SB approved by the FAA, is taken to be compliance with the inspection method, investigative and corrective action specified in Boeing
SB 737-55-1086 Original Issue, dated 11 December 2003, as required by paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of the FAA AD.
Compliance with Boeing SB 737-55-1093, Original Issue, dated 9 April 2012, is taken to be compliance with paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of the FAA AD in relation to the inspection or replacement of the rear spar attach pins of the aircraft.
For an aircraft with line number 3535 and higher, the inspections required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of the FAA AD are not required on the aircraft.

Compliance:
The required action must be taken at the time specified for the action in the FAA AD, as if it had an effective date of 13 May 2004.

 
The effective date of this AD is 16 May 2014.

Background:
Reports were received of a significant number of aircraft with damaged bolts and pins that attach the horizontal stabiliser to the aircraft. The bolts and pins were replaced due to wear, pits or corrosion damage. If not detected and corrected, damage to the bolts and pins could lead to failure, and consequent loss of the horizontal stabiliser.
AD/B737/224 was issued to address this unsafe condition and became effective on 13 May 2004.

 
 
 
AD/B737/224 Amdt 1 was issued in response to a correction issue of the FAA AD, which included the phrase “whichever occurs first” in the grace period for the initial compliance time. The phrase was inadvertently omitted from the original FAA AD issue. AD/B737/224 Amdt 1 became effective on 25 November 2004.
AD/B737/224 Amdt 2 allowed the use of Revision 1 of the referenced SB or a later revision approved by the FAA as an alternative method of compliance. AD/B737/224 Amdt 2 became effective on 9 June 2005.
AD/B737/224 Amdt 3 reflects CASA’s acceptance of FAA approved alternative methods of compliance with the equivalent requirements of this AD, including the exclusion of aircraft with line number 3535 and higher from the requirement to conduct the inspections required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of the FAA AD.

Mike Higgins
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
9 May 2014